Sa jhya

Sa jhya is one of the mostly used window in the Newari art of wood carving. In the courtyards of Dwarika’s Sa jhya is the mostly used window.

Sa jhya means the oriel window or otherwise hair window.

Sa jhya comes with its name as the hair window because females used to comb their hair from the window to lure the passengers or young boys walking by.  The window allows only a little space through the window maintaining the privacy of the room of the houses.

The windows are not only figurative rectangle windows decorated with deities, mythical beings, dragons and other elements. There different types of carved windows used for different purposes and specified for different place.

The window is surmounted by rituals and their actual beliefs.

Ein the primordial times, Sa jhya symbolized the prosperity of the home. The houses that had sa jhya was represented as one of the rich class homes.

The beauty lies not only in the wood and bricks used, and in their proportion, rather the real beauty lies with the time it was built in for the kind of life it was built for. Every element bears cultural significances linked with their material and spiritual life, From materialistic aspect, human comfort, protection and security.

In Hindu culture, daughters go to their husbands’ home after they get married. They used to say their parents to find a guy for them to marry, who had sa jhya in their home.

Newari architecture, gives unique expression to the vibrant cultural and artistic boundaries in Nepalese architecture. The traditional Newari house is an indispensable component of cultural heritage of Nepal

The architecture is perfectly proportioned to their needs.

It basked in the sun in those open courtyards and breathed the air that passed through those narrow alleys.